Open Letter on Proposed NIH Grant Support Index

Dear Dr. Collins:

As new investigators associated with a wide range of research institutions and representing a diverse mix of basic and translational research programs, we strongly support mechanisms to reduce disparities in NIH funding, including through the Grant Support Index (GSI).

In order to launch our labs and to continue contributing to science beyond startup-funded years, we depend on NIH support. However, competition for these funds is particularly arduous for junior investigators with limited track records relative to established labs. The average age of first-time awardees remains above 40, despite almost a decade of policies intended to support new and early stage investigators. In addition, competitive renewals are increasingly difficult, limiting the number of mid-career scientists able to remain in the field. We are further concerned because the NIH budget has been in continuous decline based on inflation-adjusted dollars and is currently at risk of further cuts.

We welcome efforts like the GSI that seek to make the distribution of funding more equitable and transparent to all investigators and support those in the early- and mid-career stages. We believe these measures serve the interests of taxpayers and the sustainability of the American academic research enterprise. However, given that the agency already reports that 40% of its funding is awarded to just 10% of grantees, we are concerned that allowing exceptions to the GSI will undermine its potential for generating equity in NIH research funding. We urge the NIH to closely monitor the effectiveness of new policies to improve funding parity and to continue to explore and implement transparent practices towards this goal.